If you’re assembling a far-flung collaborative team or bringing together a community of practice, here’s a way to help people stay connected. Yammer is like a private Twitter. Instead of Twitter’s question, “What are you doing?”, Yammer asks “What are you working on?”

As employees answer that question, a feed is created in one central location enabling co-workers to discuss ideas, post news, ask questions, and share links and other information. Yammer also serves as a company directory in which every employee has a profile and as a knowledge base where past conversations can be easily accessed and referenced.

Anyone in a company can start their Yammer network and begin inviting colleagues. The privacy of each network is ensured by limiting access to those with a valid company email address. The basic Yammer service is free. Companies can pay to claim and administer their network.